Welcome to College Summit

FAQ

Where are you located?

How many schools do you work with?

How many students do you serve?

How can high schools partner with College Summit?

How can districts partner with College Summit?

How can colleges partner with College Summit?

How can I bring College Summit to my community?

How is College Summit funded?

Does College Summit accept students on an individual basis?

What is a Peer Leader?

What happens at a College Summit Workshop?

What is a Preview Portfolio?

How are College Summit’s materials used during the senior year?

How can I get involved?

Can I be a writing coach if I am not a writer?

1. Where are you located?

College Summit has regional offices serving schools in Northern and Southern California; Denver, Colorado; St. Louis, Missouri; West Virginia; New York, New York; South Carolina and Washington, DC.

2. How many schools do you work with?

Currently, we work with 87 schools across the country.

3. How many students do you serve?

Since our induction we have served over 15,000 students.

4. How can high schools partner with College Summit?

Typically, high schools partner with College Summit through their district’s partnership.  Our district partners select the high schools that will implement College Summit. College Summit does partner with schools – particularly charter schools or empowerment schools – outside of district relationships. Participating high schools schedule College Summit into the school day, select teachers and students to participate in College Summit’s summer trainings and use college application scorecards to maximize College Summit’s impact. To learn more visit Proven Strategy or contact for more information.

5. How can districts partner with College Summit?

Disricts interested in partnering with College Summit are asked to make a long-term commitment to increasing college enrollment in their district. College Summit will then begin working with a district to determine how our strategy and tools can fit within the district’s long-term strategy. District partners select participating high schools, ensure each school is set up for successful implementation, pay a per-student fee and manage performance across the district.  Contact for more information.

6. How can colleges partner with College Summit?

Colleges partner with College Summit by hosting our Summer Workshops each summer.  Our college partners provide in-kind access to their campus for the four-day workshop and we do the rest!  To learn more visit our College Partner page or contact .

7. How can I bring College Summit to my community?

You can begin the process to launch College Summit in your community by working with our New Sites Team to develop the local partnerships needed to increase college going across your entire community.  Contact to connect with College Summit’s New Sites Team.

8. How is College Summit funded?

College Summit is funded by local and national corporations and philanthropies, individual investors and our school district and college partners.

9. Does College Summit accept students on an individual basis?

Unfortunately, College Summit cannot accept students on an individual basis- our students come from our school district partners whose main focus is to boost college enrollment school wide.

10. What is a Peer Leader?          

Peer Leaders are a group of students who are given the special opportunity and responsibility of strengthening the college culture in their schools. Peer Leaders are selected during their junior year of high school by their teachers and counselors. In the summer, before their senior year, they attend a College Summit Workshop and are trained there to serve as Peer Leaders. These students can best influence their peers to apply to college because, with average grades and test scores, they aren’t automatically seen as “college material.”  When they return to school for senior year, having nearly     completed their college applications, they are prepared to help their fellow students get started on the college application process.

11. What happens at a College Summit Workshop?              

A College Summit Workshop is considered to be a transformational experience. Over the course of four days, students work with our staff to learn how to write a personal statement, talk one-on-one with college counselors about possible colleges they might want to consider, learn about financial aid, and gain inner strength to deal with any personal problems they might have.

12. What is a Preview Portfolio?

College Summit provides Preview Portfolios, for our Peer Leaders, to colleges to help them with their recruitment process.  Peer Leaders complete a personal statement and a general college application at the Workshop. These documents, along with recommendations/individual evaluations from the workshop, and/or a high school transcript, allow colleges to get to know students and make better recruiting decisions.

The Preview Portfolio is not intended as a substitute for an official application.  Students understand that it is their responsibility to submit an official application to any colleges they are interested in attending.

13. How are College Summit’s materials used during the senior year?              

At schools that work with College Summit, seniors’ progress throughout the school year through the curriculum laid out in the Navigator, College Summit’s “how-to-get-into-college” text book.  Students are guided through the process by a trained teacher, or College Summit Advisor, who works with around 25 students in a for-credit class for one to 5 hours per week.  In addition to the Navigator, students use CSNet, College Summit’s online application management system, to complete many of their “senior portfolio” documents.  The College Summit regional office supports the students and educators throughout this process.

14. How can I get involved?               

Throughout the summer we have many volunteer opportunities available at our workshops. If you have any questions feel free to email .

15. Can I be a writing coach if I am not a writer?

You don’t have to be a writer to be a writing coach at our Workshops. Our writing coaches come from many different disciplines, ranging from actors and lawyers to CEO’s and secretaries. At the Workshop, College Summit staff provides all the training and support necessary to help you guide your team of students through the Writing Curriculum.